Omaha

[christianu]

Yeah I was getting abuse of one guy DOC but he thought a 33% chance meant 3/1 and was just a moron. Everyone was saying it was a lottery, everyone limping in and seeing a flop and taking it from there, I dont think anyone wa playing too seriously.

[mrmuzeman]

Im a lucky charm

[Doc]

the major difference of course between the two is that you need (usually) a much better hand to win in Omaha - normally the first or second nuts.

Your starting hand selection is also more critical - you need to have 4 cards working together rather than 2 - so you effectively want 6 starting hands rather than 1 - if you don't have 4 decent hands, it is usually worth folding

[christianu]

Right thats near enough $1000 tonight, im banking $700 to my card right new and leaving $300 to continue with. Plus got my other bankroll for my usual cash games.

What to do next, right im going to take $40 to a 2/4 table and see what happens

[christianu]

I would actually like to learn more about Omaha if you could point me in the right direction to a good amount of information DOC. I found it wasnt even worth raising with KK10A in the hole as everyone would just call anyway but I think that was just the kinda table I was playing.

[christianu]

Ermm that didnt go so well, all in 8's vs 10's.

[mrmuzeman]

The way youve been going tonight you can consider not turning AND rivering an 8 a BAD BEAT

[christianu]

I was very surpised to actually lose that hand muse. Shocked even.

[Doc]

I play more Omaha Hi-Lo than Omaha, but Super System 2 has an alright section on it.

Just remember:

1) It is more of a flop game so raising pre-flop is unlikely to scare people away, especially at low stakes
2) It normally takes the nuts to win
3) You need to have your cards working together to enter a hand - you should think in terms of having at least 4 solid holdem hands - the kind you'd be happy to play from middle position.
4) Trips in the hole is terrible. Quads is worse
5) 4 cards of the same suit is crap - unless they're all making a strong straight draw also

[aliensyndm]

Winning at omaha is easier than winning at hold 'em. (at low levels anyway) The general standard of player is much poorer.
It's easier to get above the average level of the table in skill as average level at low limit is usually horribly poor.
I didn't say there was no skill in it Doc, but it's alot easier to become proficient at omaha quickly.
Starting hand selection is alot more important in omaha. If you get that sorted you'll already have a decent edge on your opponents. That's not true to the same degree in hold 'em.
Actually luck does not play as big a part as I may have seemed to make out.
It's just when someone does get lucky, they get L U C K Y !
Obviously some of your pot odds calculations will be slightly different as you can see more cards and have more information hence there the luck factor is actually reduced in a sense. Just in omaha you are usually calculating your chances of still having the best hand on the river whereas in hold 'em you often make the best hand or a very good hand on the flop and are trying to make people pay dearly to draw to it. The nuts on the flop in omaha isn't always good if your hand can have a very very small chance of still winning come the river. The nuts on the flop in hold 'em is usually bet heavily, especially if there are many draws on.

If your sole aim is to win money then learning how to play omaha will probably be pretty profitable as with not much knowledge you can improve to well above the average level. If you want your money making to be entertaining as well as profitable hold 'em is probably better.

[wazik]

very nice work mate

I tried out Omaha a while back and had forgotten all about it, went back today after reading this and had a game for a few hours, finished about $50 up playing at 0.25c blinds so not as impressive as yourself but not too shabby.
Those tables you were playing at, I have seen tables like that and played at one the first time I played Omaha, I think I was the most informed player there after I played one hand, still lost though

My (most likely very poor) strategy is to pick starting hands quite selectively and fold everything else, like someone mentioned above, you want cards that are linked to make as many different hands as ya can. After that I am just looking at seeing the flop for the minimum, I dont really see the point in preflop raising at this level, its only gonna encourage someone to make a bet you dont want to call to see a flop. I raised once preflop in about 2-3hours of playing and I had AcKcAsKs in my hand, looked good to me, turned out to be a nice pot when I made my trip As

I am getting quite fond of this game now, thing I love about it is the monster draws you find.... check this hand I played earlier.
Now I know I should have prolly thrown this away on the flop but check it out.

***** Hand History for Game 3254651958 *****
$25 PL Omaha - Saturday, December 24, 14:00:37 EDT 2005
Table Table 64720 (Real Money)
Seat 8 is the button
Total number of players : 10
Seat 3: Wazik ( $59.60 )
Seat 10: midnight1966 ( $19.70 )
Seat 6: CrazyChan ( $20.05 )
Seat 4: clark159 ( $46.65 )
Seat 2: classic_call ( $14.35 )
Seat 5: Jasalp ( $11.98 )
Seat 1: Kelesis99 ( $24.05 )
Seat 9: djjeffypoo ( $30 )
Seat 7: ittia05 ( $10.75 )
Seat 8: dallasstars ( $24.25 )
djjeffypoo posts small blind [$0.10].
Kelesis99 posts big blind [$0.25].

** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to Wazik [ 6c 6d 5c 5h ]

classic_call calls [$0.25].
Wazik calls [$0.25].
clark159 calls [$0.25].
Jasalp folds.
CrazyChan calls [$0.25].
ittia05 calls [$0.25].
dallasstars calls [$0.25].
djjeffypoo folds.
Kelesis99 checks.


** Dealing Flop ** [ 4c, Jc, Jd ]
Kelesis99 checks.
classic_call checks.
Wazik checks.
clark159 bets [$0.75].
CrazyChan folds.
ittia05 calls [$0.75].
dallasstars folds.
Kelesis99 folds.
classic_call folds.
Wazik calls [$0.75].

The way I had been playing up till now I would have prolly thrown this away on the flop but no preflop raise (there were $1 and $2 raises preflop with lesser pairs than Js before now) and the fact the other guy didnt raise made me think there wasnt a full house out there yet). My rule is usually if theres a pair there and I dont have it....someone else does.

** Dealing Turn ** [ 7d ]
Wazik checks.
clark159 checks.
ittia05 bets [$1].
Wazik calls [$1].
clark159 calls [$1].

Look at my hand now, I cant believe the draw I have here, that 7 gives me an open ended straight draw and I have the flush draw with the clubs. This is assuming I am right and he doesnt have 2 Js or a boat already but I dont think he does. By my reckoning a 5 or a 6 would also win me the pot with a full house.

** Dealing River ** [ 3s ]
Wazik checks.
clark159 checks.
ittia05 bets [$2].
Wazik calls [$2].
clark159 folds.
ittia05 shows [ Ks, Js, 9h, 2h ] three of a kind, jacks.
Wazik shows [ 6c, 6d, 5c, 5h ] a straight, three to seven.
Wazik wins $10.55 from the main pot with a straight, three to seven.
Jasalp has left the table.

Out pops the three and I am happy, the amount of outs I had on the turn was huge (cant be arsed trying to count em ) of course what I expected to happen on this was he would flip over his pocket Js or a J4 and I would look like a chump.